Preceding the arrests the following proclamation was issued by Field
Marshal French, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland:
Whereas, It has come to our knowledge that certain subjects of his
Majesty the King domiciled in Ireland have conspired to enter into
treasonable communication with the German enemy; And whereas,
Such treachery is a menace to the fair name of Ireland and its
glorious military record--a record which is a source of intense
pride to a country whose sons have always distinguished themselves
and fought with such heroic valor in the past, in the same way
as thousands of them are now fighting in this war; And whereas,
Drastic measures must be taken to put down this German plot, which
measures will be directed solely against that plot,
Now, therefore, we, the Lord Lieutenant General and General
Governor of Ireland, have thought fit to issue this our
proclamation declaring, and it is hereby declared, as follows:
That it is the duty of all loyal subjects of his Majesty to assist
in every way his Majesty's Government in Ireland to suppress this
treasonable conspiracy, and to defeat the treacherous attempt of
the Germans to defame the honor of Irishmen for their own ends.
That we hereby call upon all loyal subjects of his Majesty in
Ireland to aid in crushing the said conspiracy, and so far as in
them lies to assist in securing the effective prosecution of the
war and the welfare and safety of the empire.
That as a means to this end we shall cause still further steps
to be taken to facilitate and encourage voluntary enlistment in
Ireland in his Majesty's forces, in the hope that, without resort
to compulsion, the contribution of Ireland to those forces may be
brought up to its proper strength and made to correspond to the
contributions of other parts of the empire.